Heater



Jan. 2, 1940. w -w AL 2,185,484

HEATER Filed May 2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS LEWIS W.WELCH BY ALFRED F.MILLINGTON MW W515??? Jar 1. 2, 1940. w. WELCH ET AL 2,185,484

HEATER Filed May 2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG.I2.I

INVENTORS LEWIS W.WELCH BY ALFRED F.Ml LLINGTON ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 2,1940

Lew'is'W. Welch, Dearborn, and Alfred F. Millington, Northvillc, Mich, assi'gncrs, by mesne assignments', to The Manufacturers National Bank of Detroit, Detroit, Mich, a nation-ail banking association 7 Application May}, 1938, Serial No. 205,576

3 Claims.

This invention relates generally to vehicle heaters and refers more particularly to those in which air from the atmosphere is heated by the exhaust gases from the engine of the vehicle.

One of .the essential objects of the invention is to provide a heater of this type having an inner shell of sheet metal for the exhaust gases andan outer shell of sheet metal for the air to be heated.

Another object is to provide a heater wherein the inner shell is provided at its v forward end with a cast metal header having tubular branches adapted to be connected to the exhaust manifold and. cross-over exhaust pipe respectively of an engine, and provided at its rear end with an integral tubular portion that is connected to a single outlet or tail pipe.

Another object is to provide a heater wherein the inner shell contains a series of baliles that are constructed in such a way that the hot exhaust gases will be forced toward the periphery of said shell to effectively heat the air within the outer shell.

Another object is to provide a heater wherein the bailles just mentioned have attaching flanges arrangedredge to edge upon the inner side of the inner shell throughout the length of the air chamber and form an additional wall or liner for the inner shell.

Another object is to provide a heater wherein the flanges of the baflles are hydrogen electric brazed to the inner shell in such a way that a layer of copper is provided between said flanges and shell.

Another object is to provide a heater wherein pressed metal headers are sleeved upon the inner shell and are interlocked with the outer shell to form the air chamber. a

Another object is to provide a heater wherein the forward header and the cast metal header are integrally held in assembled relation with the inner shell with suitable pins and are subsequently hydrogen electric brazed together.

Another object is to provide a heater wherein the rear header is free to slide on the inner shell to compensate for expansion and contraction of the outer shell while the heater is in use.

Another-object is to provide a heater wherein the outlet for warm air from the air chamber is larger than. the cold air inlet to obviate any restriction due to the expansion of the cold air within the air chamber.

Another object is to provide a heater wherein a series of flanged fins are sleeved upon the inner shell for radiating heat therefrom to the within said air chamber and are provided with radially extending slots permitting the air to get close to the inner shell and affording. more contact points for the air.

Another object is to provide a heater wherein the attaching flanges for the fins are relatively broad so as to afford adequate bearing and supporting surface for the fins and thereby obviate the necessity of having them in edge to edge contact.

Another object is to provide a heater wherein the attaching flanges for the fins have arched portions to facilitate the hydrogen electric brazing of the flanges to the inner shell, and thereby obviate the necessity for edge to edge contact of flanges as in the McNeish Patent No. 2,102,581.

Another object is to provide a heater that is compact, economical to manufacture, easy to install. and efficient in operation.

Other objects, advantages and novel details of construction of this invention will be made more apparent as this description proceeds, especially when considered in connection with the ac-v companying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a heater embodying our invention having parts broken away and in section;

Figure 2 is a front end elevation thereof with parts broken away and in section;

Figure 3 is a rear end elevation of the heater illustrated in Figure l Figure 4 is a cross sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 1.;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary enlargement of the front end of the heater;

Figure 6 is a sectional View taken substantially on the line li-6 of Figure 5;

tudinal sectional View through the inner shell and adjacent parts;

Figure 11 is a view similar to Figure 4, but showing a slight modification;

Figure 12 is a sectional view taken substantially on the line i2--l2 of Figure 11;

Figure 13 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially at right angles to Figure 12.

Referring now to the drawings, A is the inner shell, B is the outer shell, C are the bafiles, and D are the fins of a heater embodying our invention.

As shown, the inner shell A is tubular in configuration and is formed from sheet metal. Preferably the forward end thereof is open to receive an annular portion 5 of a cast metal header E, while the rear end portion is drawn to provide a reduced neck 2 for an outlet or tail pipe 3.

The header E has two tubular branches Q and 5, respectively, forming inlets for the exhaust gases from a V-type engine (not shown). A machined plate 6 is fixed upon the outer end of the branch i and is provided with suitable openings l for the reception of bolts or other headed elements (not shown) for attaching the branch G to the exhaust manifold of an engine, while a tube 8 is anchored within the outer end of the branch 5 and is adapted to receive an end of the usual cross-over exhaust pipe of the engine. The tail pipe 3 telescopically engages the neck 2 of the inner shell and preferably extends at a slight angle to the axis of the heater.

The outer shell B is substantially concentric with the inner sheli A and is held in proper spaced relation thereto by annular headers .9 and it. Preferably these headers 9 and it are provided at their inner edges with lateral flanges ii and i2, respectively, that are sleeved on the inner shell A and are provided at their outer edges with lateral flanges l3 and i i of U-cross section that embrace and are secured to the ends of the outer shell. In the present instance, opposite ends of the outer shell have tongues l5 that extend through and are pressed against the lower sides of the U-shape flanges. The lateral flange l l of the forward header 9 is secured to .the inner shell A by a hydrogen electric brazing operation, while the lateral flange 92 of the rear header is free to slide on said inner shell to compensate for contraction and expansion of the outer shell while the heater is in use. Initially the lateral flange H of the forward header and the annular portion 9 of the casting are held in fixed relation respectively upon the outer and inner surfaces of the inner shell A by pins 98. In this connection it will be noted that the casting E has a shoulder ii that abuts the adjacent ends of the inner shell A and lateral flange I l and cooperates with the pins 56 to maintain the parts in proper position. The lateral flange ii and casting E are then secured to the inner shell A by a hydrogen electric brazing operation. Thus, any exhaust gases escaping between the annular portion I of the casting and the inner shell A will pass harmlessly to the atmosphere outside the header 9.

The disk-like bafiies C are spaced apart longitudinally of the inner shell A and have laterally extending attaching flanges l8 arranged end to end from the casting E in advance of the forward header 9 to a point in rear of the rear header Ill. Thus, these flanges is form an additional wall or liner for the shell A throughout the length of the air chamber F to prevent exhaust gases passing from the inner shell A through any flaws therein to the air chamber. As a further precaution, these flanges [8 are secured by a hydrogen electric brazing operation to the shell A.

Consequently, the copper used in brazing will seep between and under the flanges 18 so as to form a protecting layer IE3 between the flanges l8 and the shell A. In this connection it will be appreciated that the layer IQ of copper just mentioned not only cooperates withthe flanges It to give additional security against exhaust gases leaking from the interior of the shell A to the air chamber F and constitutes an excellent conductor for the heat from the exhaust gases, but also obviates rusting or burning out of the inner shell A while the heater is in use.

Each baflle C has an imperforate center 20 and is provided between said center and lateral flange IS with radially extending elongated openings 2i. Preferably these openings 2| have rounded ends 22 and 23 and taper inwardly from their outer to their inner ends. To permit exhaust gases to I be as close as possible ,to the air chamber F and to permit the copper used in hydrogen electric brazing the lateral flanges l8 to the inner shell A to be free of any obstructions,the rounded outer ends 23 of the openings 2! are made tangent to the inner surfaces of the lateral flanges l8. Inasmuch as the openings 2i taper as aforesaid, it will be apparent that the exhaust gases will be directed toward the air chamber F, and the flaring ends 26 of, the intermediate tapering strips of metal will serve more effectively toconduct the heat of said gases to the lateral flanges it in contact with the inner shell A which constitutes one wall of said air chamber. In this connection it should also be noted that the combined area of the openings 2:! in each baflle relative to the cross sectional area of the branches l and 5 is such as to preclude back pressure on the engine.

The annular fins D are spaced apart on the inner shell A and serve to radiate within the air chamber F the heat received from the inner shell. Preferably each fin D has a series of peripheral slots or openings 25 which permit the air within the chamber F to be closer to the inner shell and provide increased contact edges or surfaces for the air to be heated. The fins D have laterally extending attaching flanges 2i that are flanges 2i may be spaced apart without dangerv of the fins sagging. I

In the present-heater, the inlet 29 and outlet 30 for air are in the same side of the outer shell B. However, the outlet 30 is larger than themlet to prevent any restriction due to expansion of the cold air received from the inlet 29 in the chamber F. Any suitable means (not shown) may be connected to the inlet 29 for conducting air to be heated to the air chamber F, and any suitable means (not shown) may be connected to the outlet 36 for conducting the air to the interior of the vehicle to be heated.

In the process of construction the inner shell A may be formed from a single sheet of metal by a series of drawing operations in a suitable press so as to be seamless and jointless. Thus, the possibility of exhaust gases, whichpass through the shell, leaking into the air chamber F is reduced to a minimum. The baflles C,fins D, headers 9 and Ill, and outer shellB arealso formed from sheet metal. Any suitable means (not shown) may be used to insert the bafiles C into,

the inner shell so that the flanges l8 will be in edge to edge contact. The copper used' in the hydrogen electric brazing operation may then be inserted through the openings 21 so as'to lie flat uponthe flanges it. Preferably this copper is in wire or strip form but may be in any suitable form for the purposes described. When melted, this copper will seep between the edges of the flanges I8 and form the layer it between the outer surfaces of said flanges and the inner surface of the shell A. When the fins D are sleeved upon the shell A, the copper used in the hydrogen electric brazing operation may be inserted in the aligned arches 28 so that when melted it will flow between theinner surfaces of the flanges 2i and the outer surface of the shell A. Preferably the tail pipe 3 is assembled first with the inner shell A. Then the bailies C are pressed into the shell A. Following this, the fins D are assembled upon the shell A. The header 9 is then sleeved upon the shell A, and the I casting E is pressed into the adjacent end of said shell A. The pins it are inserted in placeto initially hold the header 9 and caster E in assembled relation to the shell A. The copper used in brazing is then applied, and the assembly is conveyed through a suitable furnace. After the brazing operation, the outer shell B is put on and clinched in place by the tongues I5.

In operation, the exhaust gases from the engine will be supplied by the branches 4 and 5 of the casting to the interior of the inner shell A where they will flow through the openings 2! in the bafiles C to the tail pipe 3. The heat from the gases will be conducted by the strips 25, flanges l8, and layer IQ of copper to the inner shell A which in turn will conduct the heat to the fins D in the air chamber F.. The air from the atmosphere will flow through the inlet 29 into the chamber F where it will absorb the In this connection such vide radially extending elongated openings 32 for the exhaust gases. As'shown, the wings 3| taper toward the center of the baflles and thus cause the exhaust gases to be directed in a spiral tion are substantially the same as in Figures 1 to 10, inclusive.

What we claim as our invention is: I

1. In a heater, a tubular shell, and aseries of disk-like bafiles within said shell, each being a circular plate having a laterally extending annular flange at its periphery engaging the inner walls of the shell, a substantially circular central portion, and provided between the annular flange and circular central portion with a circularseries of elongated openings, each having a curved outer end tangent to the inner surface of the an nular flange so that copper wire used in an electric brazing operation may lie flush against both the curved ends of the openings and the inner surface of the annular flange, and each opening having side portions diverging outwardly from the circularcentral portion toward the extremities of the curved ends aforesaid whereby exhaust gases passing through the shell will be directed towardand will scrub against the inner surfaces of said lateral flanges.

2. A heater having inner and outer substantially concentric shells, and a header between said concentric shells s'aid header being rigidly secured to the outer shell and having a lateral flange sleeved upon the inner shell, the end of said flange being substantially flush with the adjacent end of said inner shell, a fitting having a tubular part sleeved within the end of the inner shell and having a shoulder abutting the flush ends aforesaid of the shell and header, and a connection between the header, inner shell and fitting including bonding material between the lateral flange, of the header and said shell, be-

tween-the tubular part of the fitting and said shell, and between'the shoulder of the fitting and the flush ends of the shell and lateral flange of the header."

, 3. A heater having inner and outer shells, and

a header between said shells, said header being rigidly secured to the outer shell and having a lateral flange sleeved upon the inner shell, th end ofsaid flange being substantiallyflush with the adjacent end of said inner shell, a fitting having a tubular part sleeved within the end of the inner shell and having a shoulder abutting the flush ends aforesaidof the shell and header, and a connection between the header, inner shell and fitting including .a pin extending through the lateral flange of the header and through adjacent walls of said shell and tubular part of said fitting, and'bo-nding material between the lateral flange of the header and said shell, between the tubular part of the fitting and-said shell, and between the shoulder of the fitting and the flush ends of the shell and lateral flange of the header.

LEWIS w, WELCH. ALFRED F. MILLINGTON. 

